Firefighters and law enforcement responded to Florida’s Historic Capitol in downtown Tallahassee Sept. 15 after reports of a fire that turned out to be an overheating generator.
An FDLE agent on the grounds of the Capitol Complex told a Tallahassee Democrat reporter that electricity to the complex had been lost after a power line had been cut due to nearby construction.
But it was smoke from the overheated generator in the old Capitol, as it’s known in town, that drew two Tallahassee Fire Department trucks.
No visible fire damage was evident from the Capitol courtyard, including at the House and Senate office buildings. But the smell of burnt fuel oil permeated the Senate side of the grounds.
With no power, Capitol workers had begun to go home for the day starting around 4 p.m., including those who had to hike down the stairs of the 22-story tower.
“Power has been out for at least 1.5hrs. Had to walk down 17 flights to get to parking,” one person posted on social media.
By 4:45 p.m., the Fire Department had cleared the area. Shortly after, lights flickered on inside the Capitol and a worker walked across the courtyard shouted “we have power” with a thumbs up.
By 5 p.m., workers could be seen hauling wet hallway rugs out of the bottom floor of the old Capitol and taking in large industrial fans. A reporter was not allowed inside and it wasn’t immediately clear whether fire sprinklers had gone off.
Spokespeople for the city of Tallahassee, which provides electricity to the Capitol Complex, the Tallahassee Fire Department and the Florida Department of Management Services, which acts as the state’s real estate manager, could not be reached.
The old Capitol is formally called the Florida Historic Capitol Museum. Its mission is to preserve the state’s political history within the restored 1902 Capitol building, showcasing exhibits on Florida’s government and heritage, its website says.
Ana Goni-Lessan, James Call and Alicia Devine contributed.
Were you working at the Capitol when the power went off? Send an email to news@tallahassee.com.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Commotion at the Capitol: Power loss, smoke sends state workers home early
Reporting by Staff reports / Tallahassee Democrat
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